IS and Business Processes: Strategic Planning, SWOT, E-Commerce and Enterprise Systems

Flashcards covering key concepts from Strategic Planning, SWOT, E-Commerce, and Enterprise Systems as presented in the notes.

Strategic Planning

The process of defining an organization’s strategy or direction and making decisions on allocating its resources to pursue that strategy.

Mission

The organization’s core purpose.

Vision

The aspirational future state the organization aims to achieve.

Environmental Scanning

Analyzing internal strengths and weaknesses as well as external opportunities and threats to inform strategy.

Goal Formulation

Establishing high-level, long-term objectives.

Strategy Development

Crafting the overarching approach to achieve goals.

Implementation & Execution

Translating strategy into actions and projects.

Evaluation & Control

Monitoring performance and making adjustments.

Data-Driven Strategy

Using large amounts of data and analytics to guide strategic decisions.

Operational Excellence

Automating and optimizing processes to reduce costs and improve quality.

Barriers to Entry

Proprietary information systems or unique capabilities that protect a firm from competitors.

Three-Level Model

Framework with strategic (long-term), managerial (middle), and operational (daily) levels.

Strategic Level

Level focused on competitive advantage and long-term strategy.

Managerial Level

Level focused on decision making and resource management.

Operational Level

Level focused on efficient daily processes and transactions.

Porter’s Competitive Forces Model

A framework describing five forces shaping competition; information systems can influence or counter these forces.

Threat of New Entrants

Risk that new competitors enter the market; IS can raise barriers to entry.

Bargaining Power of Buyers

The ability of buyers to influence price and terms; IS can lock in customers via better service.

Bargaining Power of Suppliers

The power of suppliers to affect price; IS can reduce dependency and enhance connections.

Threat of Substitutes

Risk that alternative products/services reduce demand; IS can differentiate offerings.

Rivalry Among Existing Competitors

Intensity of competition; IS can reduce costs and differentiate offerings.

Value Chain Model

A framework viewing a firm as a sequence of primary and support activities that add value; IS can optimize each activity.

Primary Activities

Direct activities in creating and selling a product: Inbound Logistics, Outbound Logistics, Operations, Marketing & Sales, Service.

Inbound Logistics

Receiving and storing materials; examples include automated warehouse systems.

Outbound Logistics

Distribution and shipping; examples include automated shipping and tracking.

Operations

Manufacturing processes and production control; examples include robotics.

Marketing & Sales

Activities to promote and sell; examples include CRM and digital marketing.

Service

Post-sale support; examples include customer support ticketing systems.

Support Activities

Enabling primary activities: Firm Infrastructure, HR/HCM, Technology Development, Procurement.

Firm Infrastructure

ERP-backed infrastructure with integrated data across the organization.

Human Resources (HR/HCM)

HRIS for payroll, recruitment, benefits, and performance management.

Technology Development

R&D and systems supporting product and process improvements.

Procurement

Managing suppliers; electronic procurement systems.

Digital Transformation Strategy

A strategic plan that uses technology to fundamentally change how a business operates and delivers value.

Key Pillars of DTS

Customer Experience, Operational Agility, Culture & Leadership, Technology Integration.

Customer Experience

Using data and IS to create seamless and personalized customer journeys.

Operational Agility

Using cloud computing and agile systems to respond quickly to market changes.

Culture & Leadership

Fostering a culture that embraces data-driven decision-making and experimentation.

Technology Integration

Leveraging emerging technologies as core strategic tools.

SWOT Analysis

A framework to identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats faced by an organization.

Internal Factors

Strengths and weaknesses within the organization.

External Factors

Opportunities and threats arising from the external environment.

TOWS Matrix

A variant of SWOT that links internal factors to external opportunities/threats to generate strategies.

Internal Factors (SWOT)

Strengths and weaknesses internal to the organization.

External Factors (SWOT)

Opportunities and threats external to the organization.

E-Commerce

The buying and selling of goods and services or the transmitting of funds or data over an electronic network.

E-Commerce Models

Models describing who sells to whom: B2C, B2B, C2B, C2C.

B2C

Business-to-Consumer; a business selling directly to individual consumers.

B2B

Business-to-Business; a business selling to other businesses.

C2B

Consumer-to-Business; individuals selling products or services to businesses.

C2C

Consumer-to-Consumer; individuals selling directly to other individuals.

Website UI

The digital storefront; must be user-friendly, secure, and functional.

Shopping Cart & Payment Gateway

System that manages items for purchases and processes transactions.

Product Catalog & Inventory Database

Digital list of items for sale with real-time stock levels.

CRM

Customer Relationship Management; tracks customer data, purchase history, and interactions.

OMS

Order Management System; routes orders to fulfillment.

Global Reach

E-commerce operates 24/7 worldwide beyond geographic limits.

Reduced Costs

Lower overhead through online operations.

Personalization

Using customer data to tailor recommendations and experiences.

Data Collection

Gathering data on customer behavior, preferences, and trends.

ERP

Enterprise Resource Planning; integrated software that manages core business processes in real time.

Core ERP Modules

Finance & Accounting, HR/HCM, SCM, Manufacturing, CRM, Order Fulfillment.

Order Fulfillment

Process from sales order to delivery.

Lifecycle of an Online Order

Sale → Inventory Update → Order Fulfillment → Financial Recording → Customer Notification → Analysis & Reporting.

Data Silos

Inconsistent data across systems; e.g., stock status not synchronized.

Best-of-Breed

Specialized, best-in-class systems that integrate with APIs to a cloud ERP.

APIs

Application Programming Interfaces; enable real-time data sharing between systems.

Headless Commerce

Decoupling of front-end from back-end systems for greater flexibility.